What NBA Players Would Be Earning

Without the multi-million-dollar deals for dribbling, dunking, and defending, where would NBA players fit in among the regular-Joe’s of the working world based on expected earnings from their college majors? Miami Heat forward, Chris Bosh, for example would be looking at less than one half of one percent of his NBA salary had he pursued a career in graphic design.

PayScale.com has assembled this infographic that highlights what Bosh and other NBA stars might expect their annual salaries to look like based on their focus in the classroom rather than on the court. Data comes from the PayScale salary database and ESPN.

Some could be doing relatively well – like Metta World Peace, who could be bringing in $83,000 with his math degree from St. John’s… imagine him as your math teacher? — while others would be looking for second jobs to supplement.

With average NBA careers lasting in the neighborhood of five years, that college coursework (unfinished as it may be with waves of underclassmen entering the league) comes into play for many while still in their twenties. Though, if they’ve cared for their accounts, their NBA pay should be plenty to provide a cushion and ease the transition back to the ranks of the real world.

Tell Us What You Think

Any other NBA players out there with interesting college majors? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter. Check out the PayScale.com Research Center for more salary data.